Valve structure



Jan. 14, 1930. J. w. LAWLESS VALVE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 30 1926 5 M 4 mlz -m IIII I. B m

Arrow 5 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 PATENT OFFICE JOHN W. LAWLESS, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY VALVE STRUCTURE Application filed August 30,1926. Serial No. 132,358.

My invention relates to valves arranged in multiple and to operate in sequence to control the delivery in sequence of cold, warm and hot water either to a tub or to the spray device of a shower. r

The general object of the invention is to provide a simplified construction of valve structure having means adapted to operate positively and efliciently to accomplish the ends stated.

It also is an object of the invention to provide a valve structure having a single supporting and operating means for a plurality of valves whereby all of the said valves may be opened or closed by the manipulation of a single actuating element.

- Another ob vide two valve rods having means thereon for controlling the cold and hot water inlet open ings, the said means on the respective rods comprising elements in spaced relation to each other and the elements on one rod being so related to those on the other rod as to per- I mit the delivery of the cold, warm and hot 5 water in sequence and also to provide means for synchronously controlling the outlet openings to the tub andshower respectively.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the detailed description thereof which follows or will be apparent from such description.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which one form of a convenient embodiment thereof is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms of construction other than that shown and that changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the said invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan or front elevation of the valve structure with the top cover of the valve casing and an element of the valve actuating means removed to permit an end plan view of the means within the said casing;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the 'ect of the invention is to provalve structure, only the dial plate and valve alpltuating or manipulating handle being vis- 1 Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and v Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 14 of Fig. 1. I

As shown in the drawing the structure comprises a casing 1 having a transverse wall 2 spaced a distance from the bottom 3 to form a chamber which is divided into compartments 4 5, 6 and 7 by vertical walls between the transverse wall 2 and the bottom 3', one of which is shown at 8. A cold water inlet 10 communicates with the compartment 4 while compartment 5. The cold water escapes from the compartment 41 through the opening 12 in a bushing 13 mounted in an opening ll inthe transverse wall 2 into the chamber of the casing 1 outside the said wall. From the compartment 5 the hot waterescapes through an opening 17 in a bushing 18 mounted in an opening 19 in the wall 2 into the chamber of i the casing 1 outside said wall. The water having entered the said chamber may badelivered either to the compartment 6 or the compartment 7 through the opening 21 or 22 in the transverse wall 2, depending upon the positions of the valves for controlling said openings;

Valve rods or bars 23 and 24 secured at their outer or front ends to a valve supporting of thebushing 13 to close the opening 12. v

A similar valve element'27 is provided upon the outer or front end of the rod 24: which of the bushing 18 to close the opening17. The valve 26 is opened at the beginning of theupward movement of the cross-head 25 to permit the flow of cold water from the compartment 4: into the outer or front chamberof the casing 1, but the opening 17 remains closed until the plug 28 leaves the same,

v a hot water inlet 11 communicates with the cross-head 25 extend inwardly through the at the same timefcontacts with the outer end the said plug consisting of an enlargement,

preferably integral with the rod 24 and the valve 27. Cold water having been first delivered into the portion of the casing 1 outside of the wall 2 it will be understood that cold water is first delivered into the compartment Gthrough the .o'pening21 which remains open until after the cross-head has moved through a considerable .distance, as will be hereinafter-more fully explained.

As the cross-head continues to move upwardly the inclined portions 30 which merge into the enlargement 31 upon the rod 23 check or, retard the flow ofcold water'through-the opening 12. Continued upward movement of the crosshead 25'with the rod 23 thereon causesthe enlargement .31't0 enter the opening 12 to completely close the Same. When this happens,- only hot water will escape into the front or outer chamber I ofthe casing 1 and fromthe said chamber into the compartment 6 and thence through the discharge'out- 'let 32'to the tub. Further upward movement --o'f"the cross-head -causes the enlargement 33 upon the valve rod 24 to enter the opening 17. This happens beforethe enlargement 31 leaves the-opening12 so that both ofthe said openings 12 and 17 are closed.

' l/Vliile'the inlet openings or ports 12 and $17 are still "closed" by the enlargements 81 and '33 which'constitute plug valves the outlet openings-or ports 21 and 22 are closed and opened respectively. The opening or port 21 isclosed byfthe entry thereinto' of the'enlarged portion of the valve 36 which extends 'throughthe said opening or port and the oute'r or front end of which is-secured to the cross-head'25. The opening or port 22 is'opened-by'the removal'therefrom of the enlarged portion 37 of the valvev 38.

,The opening of the port'22 is efi'ect'e d in advance ofthe closing ofthe port 21'. The con-.

. tinuation of the outward movement of the cross-head25'first causes the enlargement 31 ber of the casing .1. IThe opening 22 hav- 'ing;been opened in themeantimethe cold water thus entering the said outer'chamber isperniitted to venter the compartment 7 and thence to flow fthrou'gh' the outlet '40 to the spray nozzle (not shown) for the shower.

Further outward'movement of the cross-head 25 causes the enlargement 33- to move out- .wardly from withinthe opening 17 to open .thedatter and thereby permit the entry of fhot water through the opening 17 into the outergchamber'of the casing 1 where it is mixed with the cold water from the .cold

'.thencethroughlthe outlet 40 tothe shower.

As the cross-head25 continues its outward movement the tapered portion 42 upon the valve rod 23 enters the inner end of the opening 12 to retard or check the passage of cold water therethrough. At such time the Water which is discharged from the spray begins to grow warmer. It attains its highest temperature when the enlargement or plug 44 enters the opening '12. The diameter of the plug 44 is slightly less than that of the opening 12 so that the flow of cold water is greatly retarded, but the delivery of sufficient cold water is permitted to prevent the discharge of water of scalding temperature to the shower. At such time even the flow of hot water through the shower is restricted by the presenceot the tapered, enlarged portion 45 upon the inner end of the valve rod 7 which is provided internally with screw threads 51 which are steeply inclined with respect to the axis of the said projection and with respect to the axis of an externally screw-threaded member52 which is in .en-

' gagement therewith. The angul'arity 1 of the screw-threads provided upon the interior of the hollow projection 50 and upon the exterior of the screw-threaded member 52 and the diameters of the said partsare such that upon the rotation of the member 52 through an angle of one hundred andeighty degrees (180) a rectilinear inwardior outward movement of the cross-head 25 and the parts carried thereby through adistance of five-eighths of an inch is effected. The screw-threads of the members 50 andi-52 in the construction shown extend at an angle of sixty degrees -(60) with respect to a plane extending at right angles tothe axis of the said members 50 and 52. However, it will be understood that the angularity of the screw-threads upon'these two members may be varied; that the diametersof the said members may be varied; and that therectilinear distance through which'the same may be moved due to a predetermined extent 0 angular rotation may be varied.

The member 52 is located partly within the outer portion of the casing 1 and partly within a space 54 provided by an up-set portion 55 of the cover 56 which is secured to the outer end of the casingl by means'of screws 57, the inner ends of which engage tapped openings 58 in the outer end of the wall of the casing 1. Except that it is rotatablethe member 52 is stationary and as a result of rotation thereof the. cross-head 25 with the parts carried thereby is caused to move inward or outward depending upon the direction of rotation of the said member 52.

Themember 52 is provided witha projecting stem 60 which-extends outwardlythrough an opening 61 in the top of the upset portion 55, previously referred to. Surround ing and spaced from the opening 61 is an elongated flange 62 within which there is packing 63 surrounding the stem to produce a water-tight connection or joint between the said stem and the said flange 62, whereby water is prevented from escaping from the valve casing 1, except through the openings 21 or 22. A cap 64: is secured, preferably by a screw-threaded connection, to the flange 62. The stem 60 extends through an opening in the top of said cap and is provided at its outer end with a handle 65 by means of which it, together with the screwthreaded portion 52, may be rotated. The handle 65 is provided'with an extension having a pointer 66 thereon which is adapted to cooperate with words upon the dial plate 67 of usual form and construction. These words indicate the position to which the handle should be moved in order to obtain cold, warm or hot water for either the tub or the shower.

Itectilinear movement of the screw-threaded member 52 is prevented by the presence of a shoulder 68 which contacts with the inner side of the top of the up-set portion 55 and by means of a collar 69 fixedly secured upon the stem 60, which collar is in contact with the outer side of the top of the upset portion 55 in opposed relation to the shoulder 68. The collar 69 is located, as shown, inwardly of the packing material 63.

It will be seen that by my invention I am enabled to provide an extremely simple construction of valve'mechanism whereby cold, warm or hot water, as desired, may be fed to a tub or to a spray nozzle of a shower. It is apparent that when the parts of the structure are once in place and in proper relation to each other so as to produce the result desired there is no likelihood of displacement of any one of the parts with relation to another and that when the screw-threaded actuating member 52 is rotated the valves of the valve control are positively moved into the correct positions to provide water of the particular character desired and in the proper sequence for safety.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination, a valve casing having a transverse wall therein located in-spaced relation to the bottom of said casing to form a chamber and having means dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments and the said transverse wall having openings leading into the said compartments, two of said openings respectively constituting cold and hot water inlets and the other two thereof constituting respectively outlets to a tub and a shower, valve rods extending through the said inlet openings, said rods having a plurality of'spaced valves thereon for closing the said openings, valves mounted in the outlet openings, the valve for controlling the opening to the tub being normally open and the valve for controlling the opening to the shower being normally closed, a cross-head member upon which the valve rods and valves are mounted, and means for effecting rect-ilinear movement of the said cross-head to control the positions of the said rods and valves.

2. In combination, a valve casing having cold andhot water inlet openings and also outlet openings leading respectively to a tub and a shower, a plurality of spaced valve elements for opening and closing the cold and hot water inlet openings, valves for opening and closing the outlet openings, the inlet openings, and one of the outlet openings being closed and the other outlet opening being open when the device is not in use, means for effect ing movement of the said valves to control the passage of water through the inlet and outlet openin s, movement of the said means in one direction operating first to open the valve for controlling the cold water inlet and there:

after to open the valve controlling the hot water inlet, the normally open outlet opening remaining in open position, further movement of the valve controlling means operating to close the inlet openings, the cold water inlet opening being first closed, the normally closed outlet opening being opened directly following the closing of the hot water inlet and the other outlet opening being thereafter closed, and the still further movement of the valve actuating mechanism operating to open first the cold water inlet opening and then the hot water inlet opening, the water thus entering being discharged through the outlet openingropened during the manipulation of the valves, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a valve casing having cold and hot water inlet openings and outlet openings leading to a tub and to a shower, valves for controlling the said openings, a cross-head located in the said valve casing upon which the said valves are mounted, said cross-head having a screw-threaded projection extending outwardly therefrom, a screwthreaded actuating member having engagement with the screw-threads upon the said projection, the said screw-threaded actuating member being held against rectilinear movement, and means for efiecting rotation of the said screw-threaded actuating member to cause rectilinear movements of the said crosshead to control the positions of the said valves with relation to the said inlet and outlet openings.

4. In combination, a valve casing'havinga transverse wall therein located in spaced relation to the bottom of said casing to form a chamber and having means dividing said chamber into a plurality of compartments and the said transverse wall having openings leading "into {the said compartments, two .of sa'id openings respectively constituting cold and. hot Water inlets and the other tWo thereof constituting respectively outletsto a tub and ashower valve rods extending through said inletopenings, said rods having a plurality of spaced valves thereon for closing said openings, valves mounted in the outlet openings the valve for controlling one of the outlet openings being normally open and the valve 7 for controlling the other outlet openingbeing normally closed, and means for efiecting movements of the valves in said openings to control the passage of Water therethrough.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 18th dayof August, A. D., 1926. JOHN W. LAl/VLESS. 

